This invention relates to magnetic refrigerating apparatus comprising a working material for magnetic refrigeration and a magnetic field system capable of varying the distribution or intensity of a magnetic field impressed on the working material, and more particularly it is concerned with a magnetic refrigerating apparatus of the type disclosed suitable for achieving improved efficiency.
One type of magnetic refrigerating apparatus of the prior art known in the art which is of a reciprocation type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,135. A magnetic refrigerating apparatus of the reciprocation type in which a working material is moved into and out of a high magnetic field in reciprocatory movement generally suffers the disadvantage that the moving parts are complex in construction and the apparatus is large in size. Another type of magnetic refrigerating apparatus which is of a rotary type is also known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,935. In this type, a working material is caused to flow into a rotary body, and this makes it essential to provide an airtight seal. Additionally, means should be provided for circulating a fluid, so that the apparatus becomes very complex in construction.